The Brightest Star
by Back2Freestyle15
Summary: They never knew that they were destined to save the world and that they would go through hell to do it. A Pokemon Story that will redefine Fanfiction, once and for all. And it all started at midnight. MayxDrew AshxMisty
1. Chapter 1

_They never knew that they were destined to save to world from brink of terror and destruction._

_And for some of them, they never could have dreamed of the power that slept, untampered with, inside them._

All they knew, was if they didn't get home in five minutes, they'd be dead.

"Come on! We are almost there!" Ash Ketchum shouted to his panting companions. Ash was your regular Pokemon Trainer, the only difference was that he could kick serious butt. He wore the usual red hat and a spiky black hair revealed itself underneath it. With a green back bumping up and down on his back, a dark blue and yellow vest, white sleeved collar shirt underneath and light blue jeans, he was naturally one of you annoying but favorite hero's.

"Ash, whats the big hurry anyways?" May Maple (Authors Note-a million stars for anyone that can come up with May's real last name.) wined, out of breath. May was the only girl in the group, but she didn't mind. With her red bandanna keeping her two light brown ponytails under control, she could enjoy Brock's cooking, Ash's battling and teasing Max. She wore a red short sleeved shirt, with a white upper circle around her shoulders, a white skirt that flared out some and a yellow pack that strapped around her waist, holding her pokeball's and other useful items.

"Yeah, Ash! Can't we stop for a minute to rest? We've been running for ages!" Max Maple, May's little brother complained. He had grown up since their last year together in the Kanto Region, only a few inches shorter than May. Wearing his green jacket, collars up half way zipped, and mid length sleeves on top of a long sleeved white shirt along with slightly baggy brown shorts. He readjusted the same thick frame glasses and pushed the black hair out of his eyes ass he continued to run. The red backpack that bounced on his back held the few personal belongings Max had instead taking on their next journey together, including the PokeNav that was given to him as a gift, and his first capture Pokemon, Ralts.

"Look! There it is! We're gonna make it, whatever it is!" Brock Rockling cried hopefully, trying to cheer them up. Being the oldest, he felt his duty to look after all three of them. With a couple of inched on Ash, he was also the tallest. He had short brown hair, and tan skin. Wearing his normal dark green polo shirt and a orange and brown vest unzipped and light brown pants, he mentally cursed the load he carried on his back (pots and pans people). He was training, not to be a Pokemon Master, but a Pokemon Breeder. One of the advantages with traveling with two Pokemon Trainers? Can you say a lot of Nurse Joys?

_They never knew of the dangers they would have to defeat. _

After A year with Dawn, Ash and Brock wished her the best, but were going different ways. But they did leave Dawn in good hands, her number one rival and childhood friend (authors note- don't know who that is yet!). May had traveled with Drew through Johto, and creamed the place, so naturally they got bored. The Ribbon Cup was disappointing, they flew through the rounds, until it was just Drew and her for the final round. In the end, Drew narrowly beat her, but by only one bar. Harsh? Yes, but May was given a smaller trophy for her hard work. On her way back home, May met up with Ash and Brock and talked over their new plans, and decided to travel together. Max caught up with them, finally old enough to start his own journey, and proudly showed them his Ralts, which he had went back for.

They planned on stopping at Ash's house, for his birthday (conventionally, yes. In my story, Today is his birthday but in real life, Ash's birthday is April 1, for real), stop by Cerleane City to see how Misty was doing, drop in La Crosse to pick up Drew, then head over to the newly discovered Ruby Region.

"I home!" Ash shouted, as he burst through his own front door. He looked around expectingly, but the house seemed abandoned.

"Mom? Hey Mom? Its Ash!" Ash yelled, quickly whipping off his shoes and walking into the kitchen, with May following.

"SURPRIZE!!!!!!"

May screamed and fell on her butt, as Ash let out a confused yell and shielded himself from the many people that appeared out of no where. Confetti and strips of paper fell on Ash and May.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!" Ash's mom, Professor Oak, Gary, Misty, Tracey, Drew, Professor Birch, May's mom and dad, Morrison, and Tyson were all there, most of the wearing party hats and laughing.

Brock helped May up as Max laughed at her. "You should have seen her face! It was hilarious!"

May folded her arms across her chest angrily. "You guys knew about this, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me?" May said hotly, embarrassed.

"Because they knew you couldn't keep a secret, May." Drew smirked and flicked his hair. May grabbed his party hat, pulled it back and let go of it, letting it hit his face.

_They never knew it was coming, until it was there. _

"Happy Birthday, Ash! I'm so proud of you!" His mom hugged him tightly as Ash sniffed the air. "Do I smell... food? Better yet, cake?"

Misty laughed at him. "We can't fool you, can we Ash? Alright, here you go!" She pulled out this huge chocolate cake and they all tried to sing happy birthday to him in tune, but it failed miserably.

"Alrighty then! Blow out your candles and make a wish!" Tracey said, camera ready. Ash took in a deep breath and Tracey got into a good position. Just as Ash was going to blow them out, Gary walked up behind him, and pushed his head into the cake. Gary, being the perfect guy he was, managed to grin and give a thumbs up just as Tracey took the picture.

He smirked. "Now that, was a Kodak Picture Perfect moment." It was dead silent, but then Morrison burst out laughing. Ash slowly raised his head, completely covered with icing and bits of cake and turned to Gary. He raised his hand and wiped the cake off his face, resoluting in a handful of gooey cake. Before Gary could react, Ash stood up and slammed it into his face.

Morrison, by now, was turning a dangerous shade of red and was rolling around on the floor. Ash turned to him, scooped up another chunk of cake in his hand, and threw it at Morrison. Unfortunately for him, he missed and instead, it hit Misty square in the face.

"Oh!!!!! Your in trouble now, Ash!" May giggled.

Professor Oak tugged on Ash's mom's sleeve, and once he caught her attention, he pointed at the back door. Ash's mom tried not to smile, and motioned to the other three adults to take cover outside. They sneakily snook out of the house and into the backyard, where a buffet was already set up, and sat down with their dinner talking about things that grown up talk about.

_They never knew it was going to change them forever. _

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Ash had somehow managed to hit every single kid (9 total not including Ash) and there was a full out war. They had split up into two teams: Gary, Misty, Brock, Max, Morrison, Tyson, May, and Drew on one team, and Ash on the other. Tracey insisted not taking part, claiming that it was a perfect sketching moment. They turned the table over on its side, and grabbed the lids of pots for protection.

"What happens when we run out of cake?" Tyson panted as he threw a handful of cake over to table.

May turned to him and grinned. "We'll find something else to throw." Then, a handful of cake was slapped into her mouth.

"Opps. Sorry about that. I was distracted by that lame solution." Drew smirked, removing his hand from her mouth. May glared at him, and tried to say something, but could only manage to spray cake crumbs everywhere. Before they knew it, May and Drew were fighting each other. And of course, they never hit each other but instead hit everyone else with cake accidentally. So finally, it turned into every man for himself. Most of the time, when they weren't hiding behind the table, they were slipping across the floor.

By the time Professor Oak and Mays dad checked up on them, everyone had cake streaked on the clothes and face, bumps and bruises from slipping on their butt, and had tear streaks down their face from laughing so much. They all went outside, had the adults laugh at them, and chowed down on the rest of the food. ("Hey Ash! I bet I can eat more hot dogs than you!" "Yah right, Morrison!") and the rest of the evening was filled with fireworks, laughing and loads of fun.

_They never knew their friendships with one another would be tested to the limit. _

-OoO-

"That was so much fun! The best birthday I have ever had, that's for sure!" Ash sighed happily, laying back on the soft grass, and staring up at the stars.

"I'll say! I've never see someone eat all that food!" Max laughed, as Ash turned slightly green. Tyson, Gary, Morrison, Tracey, May's Mom and Dad, Professor Oak and Birch and Misty had all head home, leaving Brock, May, Drew, Ash and Max to do all the dishes and to clean up the kitchen. After a good hour an a half, they finally finished and flopped outside on the grass, before heading to bed.

"Pica! Pica!" Picachu rubbed Ash's cheek lovingly, wishing him a happy birthday in his own way.

"It's beautiful tonight..." Drew said, staring up at the sky.

"Yeah... I know what you mean. We always had trees or buildings blocking our view, but now we can see the whole sky..." May smiled, looking up at the sky with awe.

"We setting off in the mourning, right?" Brock asked, his hands behind his head as he laid back.

Ash looked up at the stars, a determined look in his eye. "Yeah, Ruby Region, here we come!"

_They never would get that far._

"I have packed enough food for a long time." Brock said cheerfully.

"Professor Oak upgraded my Pokenav and May's PokeDex!" Max chipped it.

"Me and Ash's too, Max." Drew said lazily.

"And all of our Pokemon are in tip-top shape!" May smiled.

"I'm so excited! Maybe I'll even enter some contests, then May, you and me can face off!" Max grinned.

"Not if I get to her first." Drew smirked and flicked his hair.

"Yeah? Who cares! I'll take you both on! But don't come crying to me when I beat you!" May smiled as Brock laughed.

"This is going to be like nothing else I've experienced having all of these rivals!"

_How right he was._

"Come on you guys. We better head to bed before we fall asleep out here." May said, standing up.

"Yeah, she's right. We've got our new adventure starting tomorrow, so rest up!" Brock grinned, standing up also.

Ash yawned. "It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed tonight." He said tiredly, dragging his feet towards his house.

"It'll be nice to be in a bed, period." Drew corrected, stretching out before following Ash.

"Hey, wait up you guys!" Max went running after the boys, as May stayed behind, still looking up at the stars. She was looking at one in particular, it looked way brighter than the others. Then she gasped and frowned up at the now empty spot. The star had blinked out. She shook her head, thinking she was just tired and seeing things, and headed for the house. _If only she knew that she had not imagined it..._

_And that one of their number, would not be returning to Ash's house... one would have to sacrifice their own life, to bring the world out of the dark ages. _

_But who?_

-OoO-

_Haha! So, that concludes my intro. I told you before, this is going to be like nothing else I've ever written! It's going to be funny, but full of darkness, danger, love, fights, and maybe a little bit of blood (not too much though, or I'll get sick ) It's also going to be real long! _

_It's going to be something, I just hope it'll be good. _

_Please review! I'll need every single one fo them to pull this one off! _

_And please don't expect it to be update very soon. I've got a lot of stories right now that need my attention. _

_So... thanks! I hope you continue to read this story!_

_-Back2Freestyle15 _


	2. Chapter 2

The roar of thunder woke May with a start as she quickly sat up in a alarmed rate. She panted heavily as she looked around her dark room, with Drew on the bed next to her, and Max on the floor in between them, both of them peacefully sleeping. Another flash of lightning outside made May shift slightly as she tried to lie down and fall asleep.

Ten minutes later, when May could not fall asleep, she finally got up to close the curtain. As she carefully stepped over Max, and walked quietly around Drew's bed, she approached the window with some caution.

She was about to whip the curtain around, covering the entire window (she never liked thunderstorms) when something caught her eye. There was something, or better yet, someone moving out there.

May leaned closer to the window and squinted her eyes, trying to detect what it was, or who it was. _Why was he out in the storm? Didn't he know better?_ The figure was wearing a long cape and its hood was up. It was walking as if injured gravely, and was carrying a bundle underneath its arm. May nervously watched him, as he headed towards the house. Then, she stood frozen in fear as she heard him pounding at the door. She knew she was the only awake, and the only one that could answer the door. She looked over at Drew's bed, where he was still soundly sleeping. May bit her lip, as she walked past his bed. As much as she wanted to wake him up, she didn't want to think that she was scared.

She slowly walked down the dark hallway, walking to what felt like her doom. The man at the door continued to pound his fist at it, way to hard and way to loud. She was too distracted to hear a door squeak open behind her.

"May? Is that you? Whose at the door?" Ash yawned, and rubbed his eyes. May felt so much better, knowing she wasn't the only one up.

"I don't know Ash. But they don't sound friendly... if you know what I mean." Instantly, Ash snapped awake. His trusty Picachu jumped on his shoulder, as he walked out of his room and towards May.

"Alright, come on. Let's see what they want before they wake up everyone else." Ash said bravely walking besides May, down the dark hallway and approached the door. May stepped back some, as Ash unlocked the door and opened it.

A burst of rain and wind greeted them, spraying their face with cold rain. May saw Ash's eye grow wide, as he looked up at the tall dark figure. Lightning flashed in the background, showing exactly how big and tall the figure was. Ash gulped, and tried to put on a brave face.

"Yes? Can I help you somehow?" May, given some courage by Ash, also spoke up.

"Do you know what time it is? Its like three in the mourning and-" The figure walked towards them, and then suddenly stopped. Pichacu got ready to fry the stranger, as little sparks appeared on his cheeks. Then, May gasped as the figure fell to his knees, clearly exhausted. Ash, not sure he was doing the right thing, walked over, put the strangers arm around his shoulders and helped him to stand. May moved out of the way, as Ash and the stranger slowly walked into the house, and sat the mysterious man on a nearby couch. May closed the door behind them and flicked a switch.

They had to blink a couple of times to get adjusted to the sudden light, and when they did, they got a better look at the mysterious man. He was wearing a dark brown cape, that had been slashed, burned and ripped. The man's hood had fallen down, revealing a young and extremely tired man with spiky dark blue hair. He had a slight cut on his cheek, but nothing worse than that. His clothes remind May of olden times, wearing a blue tunic shirt, a belt with a pouch hanging off, long ripped pants tucked into his boots. What May found interesting, was a sword hilt on his back. But a huge nasty looking cut down his thigh distracted her.

"May, go get Brock and we can deal with this cut." Ash said, turning to May. May nodded and quickly, but quietly ran down to Ash's room, where Brock was sleeping. It took her a minute to get him up, but when he had heard that a injured young man was in the living room, Brock had whipped on a robe and was there in a instant.

"Is nothing dangerous... but you should keep off of it for a couple of days, or at least a week." Brock said, after examining it carefully.

"But...! I must finish- I've got to deliver this package!" The young man said in a raspy voice, but Brock held firm.

"No, you must stay here and rest." The man sighed and thought hard for a moment. May saw him looked down at the bundle he held so dearly. She began to wonder what was in it. Then, Ash being the genius he was, spoke May's thoughts.

"What's so important about the package?" The mans eye went wide, as he held the package firmer.

"It is of great importance, items that will save the-"

"Hey. I'm trying to sleep in there. What are you doing?" Asked a sleepy voice. May's eyes went wide as she saw Drew half asleep at the door of her room, wearing a tight black shirt with a hood and baggy tan pants. He slowly walked over in small jagged steps as he rubbed his eyes.

"May, Ash, Brock. I don't care what your doing, just be quiet okay? And while your at it-... whose that?" Drew asked, his eyes squinting at the young man. Another crack of thunder made May jumped. Brock turned to Ash, completely ignoring Drew.

"Where did you put my backpack? I need to bandage this wound."

"It's in my bedroom." May walked over, and sat next to the young man on the coach, who looked frustrated and worried.

"Maybe, if you tell us who are, we can help you." The man looked at her hard, before sighing.

"You might have a point there, little girl. My name is Sir Daniel, and I am from The Winding Circle."

Drew narrowed his eyes. "The Winding Circle? I heard they don't have Pokemon there. It is extremely dangerous, too. You never see people from there over here."

Sir Daniel nodded. "I have travel far and wide for this simple package... I was sent on a mission, a last hope for my people. Something, bad is happening, worse than anyone can ever imagine... Winding Circle used to be a prospering land, where food, sunshine and happiness was abundant. But now, it is always dark and cold, never does the Sun come out, and people are struggling to stay alive." Sir Daniel sighed and continued.

"There is a group of us, we call ourselves the Winding Circle Sages. We have been trying to defeat the Dark Force, but they are too powerful and have wiped out most of our men. The few that are left are being sniffed out by the Dark Forces men as we speak. Finally they sent me to retrieve something, that the prophecy says will defeat the Evil Forces and free the World of their grip. If we don't stand up for ourselves and defeat it soon, the rest of the world will be doomed, and even you kids will not be safe. Then, world as we know it, will be pitched into darkness." May, Drew and Ash gasped.

"Hold up. Your going to fast. What is this evil Darkness?" Drew asked, now fully awake.

But Sir Daniel shook his head. "The less you know, the better young ones. But it is vital for this package to get to my land, safe and sound. It is our only hope to defeat him and to save all of Winding Circle and the World..."

May gulped. "What, what happens if the package doesn't get there in time? Can the darkness still be stopped?"

Sir Daniel sighed. "I wish I could tell you yes, but I cannot, little girl." May turned to Ash and Drew, her eyes a blazed with determination.

"We have to do something to help them." Ash looked at Sir Daniel, his eyes matching May's.

"You can not walk, and if what you say is true, we have to get this package to the Winding Circle as fast as possible." Sir Daniel looked up at him, his face grave.

"Yes, what are you suggesting?"

"That we take the package for you, and deliver it ourselves."

"What?!" May stood up abruptly. Sir Daniels face remained the same.

"It is fair too dangerous for little kids to be wandering around there, let alone with a package important as this." Sir Daniel answered sternly.

"But if you haven't noticed, it doesn't really look like you have a choice, Sir Daniel. You can't walk for the life of you. It would be more dangerous for you to take the package, in your state, than for us. Ash is right, we have to do it." Drew said sharply.

"Besides, we're stronger than you think!" Ash grinned, standing up and posing as if to prove his point.

"People will attack you for the package. It will be a long and treacherous journey to get there, and there are millions of Dark Forces Guard that will not hesitate to kill you for that bundle. It will be anything but easy. And it could all be for nothing." Sir Daniel said gravely.

"That does not scare us." Ash replied, looking at Sir Daniel square in the eye. Sir Daniel turned and looked at all three of them, almost sadly.

"Your completely serious about this, aren't you? I can not convince you to stay?" May slowly nodded.

"If its for the greater good, we'll do it." Sir Daniel shut his eyes tightly, and May almost thought he was going to cry.

"Whats wrong? What is it?" She asked in a soft tone.

He sighed. "If you die, its in my account." Ash gulped, Drew bit his lip, and May looked to the ground.

"Your over-reacting. We've saved the Pokemon world plenty of times, we will be fine." Ash said, trying to be convincing. Suddenly Brock walked in, with everyones backpack.

"I heard your conversation, so the sooner we go, the better. Its a long way to Winding Circle."

"But, theres a thunderstorm going on outside!" May said, in a small voice.

"You don't have to go, if you don't want to." Drew said, slightly kindly.

"No, I do have to go." May sighed and half-smiled to Drew, as she slipped on her backpack and jacket. Drew went to grab his purple jacket in the room, as Sir Daniel watched them sadly, still unconvinced that this was the right thing to do.

"I wish you wouldn't do this." He said from the couch.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Ash flashed a thumbs up, as he waited at the door.

"What about Max? Are we going to just leave him?" May asked unsure.

"Don't even think about it, May. Of course I'm coming." Max walked out behind Drew, already dressed and packed. May smiled faintly, as she put a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure Max? This, is not going to be easy. Its going to be dangerous, and scary, and-"

"Well, someones got to be there to hold your hand May." Max smiled and winked at her. May smiled back, her eyes watering slightly. She gave him a tight hug.

"Alright, Max. Only if you want too."

"Then, are we all set?" Brock asked.

"Here, takes this. Please, promise me you want not open it. You must leave it as it is, but protect it with your life." Sir Daniel said, handing Ash the package. "You must swear to me, that you will not open or break or mess with the contents."

Ash nodded. "You have my word, Sir Daniel. Now, lets-"

"Leaving so soon, Ash?" A soft voice asked from down the hall. He turned to see his mother looking sadly at him )she had heard the whole conversation).

"Yeah, I'm real sorry mom. But, you know me. Never can stay in one spot for long." Ash grinned slightly, deciding not to tell his mom where he was going. Sir Daniel bit his lip and looked to the ground.

Silence.

"I don't want you to go to the Winding Circle, Ash." His mom sternly, but quietly.

Ash's hold in the door knob tighten. "I'm sorry mom, but I have to. The fate of the world depends on it. I don't have a choice. Besides, I've got Brock, and Max, and May and Drew with me. They'll look after me."

Ash's mom looked at him angrily. "Ash Keptume! It is far too dangerous. Winding Circle is known for there theifs, and kidnappers. I don't care how important it is. You, are, not, going. Not go back to be, Ash. I'll look at Sir Daniel for tonight."

"You don't understand, mom. I have to go!" Ash gridded his teeth, still facing the door. Max was about to say something, but Brock shook his head. They were not to get into this.

"Listen to me, Ash! It is too dangerous! May, Max, I know your parents would not want you to go! You too, Brock and Drew!" Ash bit his lip, and threw opened the door. A cold wind blew in through, as rain thundered down on them.

"Ash-!?"

"Mom, I love you. But I have to be going. Brock, May, Max, Drew. Let's go."

He swallowed hard as he ran out, the package firmly under his arm. May, Drew, Max and Brock sprinted after him. His mom ran to the door, shouting in the rain. "Ash! Come back!! It's too dangerous!!! ASH!!! PLEASE!!!! Your all I got..." His mom fell down in the doorway, and sobbed into her hands. "Come back..."

-OoO-

Ash ran into the storm, down the dirt path, completely ignoring the pelting rain and lightning. All he could think of was his mom, her voice echoing in his head.

"I'm sorry mom... I am. But I have to do this... for all my Pokemon, for all my friends, for Misty, for you..." He felt like crying, he didn't know why, but what ever the reason, he couldn't be seen crying in front of them.

"Ash!" He finally slowed to a stop, and waited for the others to catch up. "Ash... I'm sorry." Brock laid a comforting hand on Ash's shoulder. May gave him a one armed hug, as Drew watched them closely. A minute later, Max looked up at Ash, expectingly. "Ready?"

Ash didn't reply but instead looked up at the sky, glaring at it. Finally, he broke into a grin.

"Are you, Max?" Max smiled back.

"I am if you are." Ash turned to May and Drew.

"May? Drew? You guys ready for the adventure of a life time?" May laughed as Drew smirked.

"Face it, May will never be ready but I am." May stopped laughing and growled as Drew flipped his hair. Next, Ash turned to Brock.

"You and me have traveled together for 5 years... you ready for one last rumble together?" Brock broke into a grin, as he held out his hand, balled up into a fist.

"If it involves cute girls, I'm totally ready." They hit each others fists and Ash finally looked at his shoulder, where his trusty yellow mouse sat.

"Picachu? Are you ready?"

"Pica-chu!"

Ash laughed. "Alright you guys, lets go save the world, again."

-OoO-

_So the adventure is finally beginning. Our poor hero's don't know what they are getting themselves into._

_Sorry if there was a little AshxMay going for a little bit. But hopefully, soon I'll have Drew and May cause we all love those guys together. _

_I also apologize if this chapter was a little short. I really don't have a excuse for that. ) _

_Please Review. For all those that have been, thank you very much. I loved them all, and you make me sound too good. So, thank you! _

_Till Death Do Us Part-_

_-Back2Freestyle15_


	3. Chapter 3

_They were tired. _

_And they had only just begun. _

Battling the harsh weather, in the dark, was not on May's favorite list. But every time she opened her mouth to complain, Drew hushed her.

Being silenced was also, not on her favorite list either.

Ash, was of course, leading the pack, his hat pulled low to try and protect his eyes from the ice cold needle rain. He held the prized package in his backpack, and Picachu in his arms. Then came Drew, his green hair dripping wet, and his cool mood evaporating quickly and turning into grumpiness. After him came May, trying to stay right behind Drew so he took most of the rain, but she couldn't do it without blushing. She so had to stick with being wet, cold and shivering as she held her body. Next came Max, who couldn't see crap. It was useless to wipe his glasses, because the minute he put them on his nose, they just get wet again. Besides, he didn't have anything dry to wipe them off on. Last of all, came Brock, trotting and whistling a tune. He was in a surprisingly good mood, despite the bone chilling rain, loud and annoying thunder, freaking scary lightning and harsh winds. Why? I don't know. He was probably thinking about Nurse Joy, or something.

"Ash! I need to stop for a minute!" Panted Max, over the roar of the storm, finally breaking the two hours silence.

"I don't think we can afford it!" Ash shouted back. "We need to get there as soon as possible!"

"But Ash!" May yelled, "We've be walking since 1 AM, it's now 6 AM. That's five hours of walking!"

"Good Math May!" Drew shouted so she could here her, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "Who knew you could do it?" May punched him lightly in the arm as a response, too tired to do anything else.

"We've got a Pokemon Center, not to far away from here. Maybe one hour or less walk. But After that, that's the last one before Winding Circle."

"Weird, but okay! We'll take it!" Ash said, out of breath. "We'll stop there. But until then, we have to keep moving you guys! The fate of the world depends on it!" May growled, if she heard that saying on more time, she was going to snap. For the past five hours, May had been hearing that, a lot. Or in other words, too much.

Her mind started to wander, trying not to think about the lightning and thunder, and her soak clothes and so on. She began to wonder how this adventure was going to effect them. May thought of how they should probably getting up right now, at Ash's house, all happy and excited for the new region. They should be sitting down, eating pancakes and bacon provided by Ash's mom, then laying around for a bit, checking to make sure they had all their Pokemon ready, then finally setting off. But no, May sighed, they had to get themselves involved. Then, her mind jumped over to a unexpected place for her. That green head in front of her. She smiled slightly as she thought of their past events when they traveled together last year. Despite Drew never missing a chance to tease her, he was supportive and though he didn't always cheer for her like Ash and Max would, he shouted advice down to her from the stands, which she learned to always take. May had learned a lot about her mysterious rival too, which she enjoyed.

But hey, rivals where rivals, May smiled, and since last year were the biggest rivals anyone get ever come across. While she day-dreamed about winning the ribbon cup, she failed to notice Drew and Ash' complete stop. So naturally she walked into Drew.

"Sorry..." She murmured, feeling her cheeks heat up. Surprisingly, she saw Drew do the same. He looked down at the ground.

"It's alright. Just watch your step next time." He replied, mumbling.

Ash sadly looked at the raging river that stood in front of him, which looked anything but welcoming. The ground on which he stood on was about a yard above it, so it would be a short fall into it if they weren't careful. The current looked fast and overpowering, stronger than any other river Ash had seen. It was huge, about 7 yards wide and looked way too deep to cross. He sighed as he looked at the bright lights across the river, that must be where the Pokemon Center was.

"Ash! We can't cross here! It'll be too dangerous!" Brock shouted, coming up behind Max.

"Maybe theres a bridge further down!" Drew suggested, his voice going hoarse from all the yelling. Ash flashed a thumbs up, as he started to walk alongside the river. May gulped as she followed, in all the movies and books she read, this always ended terribly. They were all doing just fine walking along the river, and had finally saw a bridge to cross over on, when it happened.

A simple rock gave in, a boy's foot slipped and the worst sound in the world. S_plash_.

"Max!!!" May screamed. Ash didn't waste a second, lightly tossed Picachu, threw his backpack off and jumped in after him. The minute he hit the frigged water, he wish he didn't. The current was way more powerful than it looked, if that was even possible, and over took him easily.

"Ash!" He heard Brock shouted and May cry out of Max, as Drew ran off down the river, before him plunged down underwater. He opened his eyes, to see bubbles everywhere and murky water all around him. Then, he saw the person he had come for, slowly sinking to the bottom. Ash struggled to swim over to him, but it was hopeless. He felt like he was in a washing machine, constantly turning and swirling around, but worse.

Ash physically growled underwater. He was not going to be beaten by this river. He, Ash Keptume was better than that. Thoughts of his mom, Misty, Professor Oak, Brock, May, Drew and everyone else encouraged him to keep going. With unimaginable strength, Ash found himself getting closer to Max. Finally he reach out to him, and grabbed him. By this time, his lungs were burning and his head was pounding, but he couldn't think about that just yet. By pushing off the bottom of the river, he was able to gain some momentum. His strength was starting to give out, as he neared the surface.

When he broke the surface, with Max, he felt relieved having accomplish his rescue mission. But then he realized he wasn't down yet, he had to battle the current again, with withering strength, and get him and Max to the shore.

"Great..." Ash muttered, struggling to keep them both on top of the water.

"Ash! Grab the rope!" Drew shouted, throwing a lope of rope to Ash. Miraculously, Ash grabbed hold on it, and hung on. May ran over, and threw her arms around Drew's stomach, dragging him back, while pulling Ash in. Brock joined them, but instead grabbed the rope and pulled. Then, Ash's eyes went wide.

"The rope! Its- its starting to break!" He shouted, while getting a mouth full of water.

"Damn it! Pull faster!" Drew yelled. Ash knew it was hopeless. So he did the only thing he could think of. He took the lope of the rope, and tied it around Max's stomach.

"Ash?! What are you-!?" A wave came and swept Ash, breaking his hold on the rope completely.

"Ash! No!" May screamed. He was plunged under water again, and disappeared from the surface. Drew hurriedly pulled in Max, and dragged him out of the water. Brock bent down to listen to his breathing as May silently cried.

"Come on! Maybe we can still save him!" Drew hissed, grabbed May's arm and ran down to the river.

"But, Max-?!"

"Is fine. We have to get Ash out of the water, and soon!" Drew snapped, still holding May's arms as he sprinted alongside the raging river.

-OoO-

Ash let himself fall down slowly in the water, his head tilted slightly and his eyes half closed. He smiled slightly to himself, as the current slowed down considerably as he went deeper and deeper. At least Max would be okay, but he couldn't say the same for himself. He knew he wasn't going to make it. His strength had completely abandoned him, his energy bone dry.

He could hear May shouting his name, and Picachu screaming for his master. He closed his eyes as his head fell back. I'm sorry you guys.

Brock, May, Drew, Max... please compete the mission. Oh, and thanks for always being there for me, Ash thought, his body starting to go limp.

Picachu, your the best friend I could ever have. You were always there to protect me, and always cheered me up. I will never forget you.

His lungs felt like they were about to burst.

Mom, Professor Oak, Gary, thank you for everything. Even if it was messing up my cake, Gary. You always supported me, mom and Professor, and Gary, you made me strive to be the best.

His head pounding, he knew his last moments were passing fast.

Misty... what do I have to say? Ash mentally smiled, now hitting the bottom. I loved teasing you, and showing off in front of you. I was crazy about you, Misty and I was crushed when went our separate ways. May's cool and all, but she's nothing like you.

What could have been...

I wish I could tell you, but its too late now, I guess.

Before I go...

I just want you to know...

Ash's head fell back, his heart stopped and lungs died.

... I think I might love you...

-OoO-

"Ash! Please! Wake up!" Before he knew it, he was awake, and he could not stop coughing for the love of him. When he finally opened his eyes, he gasped. It was those green eyes he longed for for such a long time. Misty was right on top of him, practically sitting on his stomach, drenching wet. She gave him a relieved smile, before her expression changed abruptly into extremely angry. Then before she knew it, she raised her hand and slapped him on the cheek, _hard_.

"Yow! What was that for Misty!?" Ash winced, his hand covering his cheek.

"Don't do that! Ash! You scared me half to death! Do you ever think about anything before doing it?" Ash was about to retort angrily, when he looked at her closely. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, giving away the fact that she had been crying and when he listened in better, her breathing seemed a little unsteady too. He sheepishly grinned up at her.

"You know me by now, Misty. That's just what I do. Always jumping for I look, or leaping, or skipping, or whatever." Ash frowned. As Misty smiled and shook her head, Ash tore away from those eyes he thought so fond of, and looked at the friends that he failed to notice before.

"So... what happened?"

Brock sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "After you let go of the rope, May and Drew went racing down the river, trying to find you. But they never saw you. Then, Misty appeared out of no where, dived in the water and with some struggling, pulled you out..." Here Brock coughed for no apparent reason, "-andMistyhadtopreformCPR..." Ash's face went beet red along with Misty's.

"Really? Ah... gee, thanks... Misty." Misty coughed nervously, as she uselessly wrung out her hair (its still raining people).

"You were, dying. I had to do something." She murmured. May was smiling sweetly at the sight of them two, which made Ash confused and feel weird. But when he looked over at Drew, who was smirking down at him, Ash couldn't help but blush again. Picachu came running over, shouting Pica over and over again, and nuzzled Ash's cheek.

"Hey Picachu... sorry about earlier." Ash grinned, as he referred to tossing him away. Picachu smiled at him for a response. Max, who was standing next to Brock, knelt down to next to Ash, frowning.

"Ash, why did you jump after me like that? You could have died." Ash gave a tired laugh.

"Well, Max. Thats what you do when your a friend. You got to look after each other. So buck up some. It was accident, and we're all okay. Now, how about we get out of this rain, and head over to that Pokemon Center over there?" Ash suggested. May, Drew and Brock nodded. Drew continued to grin, as he cleared his throat.

"Hey Misty. That means your going to have to get off Ash." Drew smirked. Misty blushed furiously again, as she scrambled to get off him.

"Yeah, yeah. I knew that." Brock helped Ash up, who couldn't walk very well, and slung his arm around him. Then they set off for the nearby bridge and headed over to the welcoming lights.

-OoO-

Nurse Joy was happily typing away at her computer. All the trainers were in their bed, their Pokemon peacefully resting with one another and it was the beginning of another grand day at the Pokemon Center. She looked up and frowned, glancing outside. Well, almost another grand day. The Thunderstorm that had been raging all night was still outside, as strong as ever, and didn't look like it was going to let up anytime soon. She didn't remember that in the forecast. She hoped no one was out in that weather... As if a cue, six panting, soaking wet kids came bursting through the sliding glass doors.

"Oh dear!" In a flash, Nurse Joy was out from behind the counter, and over by the kids.

"Please, go sit by the fire over there, while I get some blankets and arrange for some rooms. You, are staying here for the night, aren't you?" Ash hesitated but Misty turned to glare at him.

"Yes, Nurse Joy. We would love to have some rooms tonight."

"But-!"

"No, Ash." Misty snapped. "It won't help to travel to Winding Circle with half strength. You will need all of it to survive."

Drew narrowed his eyes. "How did you know we were going to The Winding Circle?"

Misty cleared her throat. "Ash's mom called me the minute you guys left and begged me to stop you... she sounded terrible by the way."

Ash ignored her last comment, as he struggled to stand up on his own. "You cant stop us, Misty. We have to-"

"Ash! I can't-"

"Stop it! Both of you!" May shouted angrily. Drew and Max looked at her with wide eyes.

"Sorry." May sighed. "I'm just, tired, thats all."

Brock nodded. "What we all need is a good nights sleep."

"But its only 7:00 in the mourning!" Max yawned and rubbed his eyes.

Nurse Joy folded her arms across her chest and almost glared at the kids, she had enough. "This has gone on long enough. I demand that you kids stay here, for as long as you want. You will sleep for as long as you want, and then you will eat as much as you want. I have two rooms ready for you. And don't bother to protest, or I'll put my Pokemon on you." They all gaped at Nurse Joy, before she broke into her sweet smile.

"Please follow me! Ash, I will look you over in the mourning, but I'm sure all you need is a good night sleep!" Nurse Joy hummed a tone as she skipped down the hall, leading the tiresome kids to their rooms.

"And here we are! If you need anything, feel free to see me and I will do the best I can!" The nodded as a reply, an even Brock was too tired to ask her to marry him. So they split up, waving to each other wearily and fell asleep the minute they reached their bed.

-OoO-

Misty yawned and sat up tiredly. She glanced at the digital clock next to her, and rubbed her eyes. Apparently, it was 4:30 in the afternoon, but for some reason, their room was dark as night. She lazily looked around the room, trying to figure out what happened and where she was. She spotted Brock on a couch, by the window, and Ash in the bed next to her, his trusty Picachu laying by his side. Instantly, Misty began to blush as she quickly looked away. She then started to flashback to when she received a unexpected call.

Flashback-

"_I was good to see Ash again. He looks great and still determined as ever to be the best." Misty laughed, as she headed for the Pokemon Center down t the road from Ash's house. She would have to stay there for tonight, then head off back for home before her sisters did anything they'd all regret. _

_Yet, as she walked through the sliding glass doors and saw the cheery face of Nurse Joy behind the front desk, she was sad. Sad that she could only stop in and say hello to Ash, that the blissful, worry-free days she spent traveling with him were over. It was as if she was waking up to reality. She sighed as she asked Nurse Joy for a room. AT least she still had the memories..._

Misty quietly climbed out of bed, and headed over to the window. She pulled back the curtain, expecting more light to fill the room without waking the boys, but she was disappointed to find it still raining outside. It was as dark, and it made the room a little more brighter, but the unwelcoming thunderstorms and cold rain continued to fall.

_Misty groaned as the telephone next to her bed rang off its hook. It must have been around midnight, so who in the world was calling her. Finally deciding it must be important, she sat up in her dark room and answered to phone. _

"_Hello? Misty Waterflower here..." Misty tried to stiffle a yawn, "Can I help you?"_

"_Misty? I'm very sorry to wake you up at this time, but theres someone on the phone that needs to speak to you right away. Can you please come down into the loby?" Nurse Joys kind voice asked._

_Misty yawned. "Er... yah sure." She rubbed her eyes tiredly, as she climbed out of bed, searching for her shoes. "Do you know who it is?" She didn't have to be there, but she knew Nurse Joy shook her head. _

"_No, I'm afraid not. But they are very desperate to reach you, so please hurry." _

"_Alright, I'm on my way. Thank you Nurse Joy." Misty put the phone back on the hook and groggily went out into the hall, still in her pajamas. It was probably her sisters, wondering how to change the light bulb to their night light. Misty laughed to herself as she walked into the lobby. Nurse Joy was waiting for her, and directed her to the phones with the screens. To Misty surprise, Ash's mom was there, her eyes red and puffy and tears streaks down her cheeks. To rushed over when she saw her. _

"_Mrs. Keptume! Whats wrong?! What happened?!" _

_Ash's mom sniffed. "Misty, I need you to find Ash and bring him home. He just left with all of his friends, for... for the..." _

"_For where? Didn't he want to go the Ruby Region?" _

_But Mrs. Keptume shook her head. "If it was for there, I wouldn't be so upset. He left... for the Winding Circle."Misty gasped as she sat down in the chair. _

"_What?! Has Ash gone mad?! Why is he heading for there!?" _

_Mrs. Keptume bit her lip. "It's a long story, but you know how dangerous it is there, Misty! You have a uncle there, don't you!? And theres millions of bad people there, just waiting for a defenseless group of kids to come along! You must convince Ash not to go! I know, you out of all people can do it, Misty! Please! I couldn't stop him, what should I do?!" She wailed and blew her nose into a tissue. _

_Misty pushed back the chair and looked at Mrs. Keptume in the eye. "I'll go after them right now, Mrs. Keptume and do everything I can to make Ash stay here. Even if I have to chain him down somewhere." _

_Mrs Keptume gave Misty a watery smile. "Thank you Misty, thank you so much. Good bye and good luck." The screen went black, and for a minute, Misty did not move. Nurse Joy stood behind silently, listening to the whole thing. Misty let out a sigh, before she raced to go get dressed. Why did it have to be in the middle of the night, Ash? Can't you wait till mourning? But Misty knew that the Winding Circle was no place to goofy around in, so the sooner she found Ash, the better._

Misty smiled slightly and shook her head, now sitting on her bed and looking at her tow best friends. Dispute the fact that she was scared for Ash, she was excited to have a excuse to come after him, and travel back with him for a couple of days. She had been hoping for a adventure like this. She turned to look at Ash, when she let out a stifled cry. Brown eyes met her green ones, only slightly awake. Ash sat up and let out a long yawn.

"Mourning Misty." Ash grinned, as he scratched his head. "Actually, afternoons more like it. Its 4:30 pm." Misty corrected, as she tried to cover up her blushing face. Ash laughed and shook his head, as he woke up his trusty Picachu. He climbed out of bed as Misty cocked her head at him.

"And where do you think you are going?"

"I'm going down to see if the others are awake yet..." His stomach growled, showing his true purpose, and he blushed. "And to go get something to eat." Misty laughed at him, before her stomach chimed in too.

Ash grinned. "Would you like to dine with me and Picachu?" He asked, bowing to the ground as Picachu laughed.

Misty blushed slightly. "As long as you save some food for me, Ash Keptume." They both grinned at each other, and they tip-toed out, so as to not disturb Brock. When he heard the door clicked into place, Brock snapped open an eye and grinned to himself as he sat up.

"They still have it for each other... oh boy... this is going to be fun."

-OoO-

"I still can't believe you ate all that food." Drew said, grinning and shaking his head.

"Yeah, she does it at home too." Max laughed. May glared at both of them, as she folded her arms across her chest.

"We are going to need all the energy we can get on this journey. And you get energy from food. So when your all tired and want a stop, and I'm still full of energy, don't come crying to me." May stated, as she ripped off a piece of bread and popped into her mouth. The three of them were eating dinner in the dining room, after bouncing on each others bed and getting dressed. Now, all they needed to do was wait for the others, and plan for their next move.

Drew snatched a apple from her plate. "Yeah, but you don't need that much energy." He smirked, as he bit into it.

May fumed. "Hey! That was the last one left!"

Drew grinned as he took another bite. "Its good too." Max laughed at the site of them. He can't believe he missed out on this last year!

"Sound like May and Drew." Ash said coming up from behind.

"Mourning!" May smiled.

"Afternoon." Drew flashed a grin to May and she stuck her tongue out at him.

Max ignored them. "Hey Ash! Hey Misty! How did you two sleep last night?"

Misty smiled. "I slept great!"

Ash nodded. "One of the best nights sleep I ever got!"

"Thats good, cause we'll need all we can get!" May said cheerily, as she munched on some crackers. While Ash and Misty went go get some food at the buffet, Drew leaned back in his chair, and looked around them. Surprisingly, the Pokemon dining was almost empty. Besides them, there was three Pokemon trainers near them, all laughing and talking cheerily, despite the weather outside: two girls and one boy. Looking about the same age as himself, maybe a little older. There was also a lone trainer, sitting far off into the corner, glaring in Drew's direction. Their eyes connect, and they held each others glare for a good minute before the older boy finally looked away. Drew smirked and flicked his hair triumphantly, and turned back to the others.

"So... when are we leaving?" Max asked, spooning some hot stew into his mouth.

"As soon as possible." Ash replied, shoveling down some mashed potatoes.

Misty chocked on some chicken, before glaring at Ash. "Your not going anywhere." Drew rolled his eyes as May coughed nervously. Here comes another brawl.

"Misty, nothing you can say will make me stay. I have to get this package delivered." Ash stated, forking some of Misty chicken into his mouth. She slapped his hand.

"Oh yeah, Ash? I promised your mom that I wouldn't let you go, and I'm going to keep that promise."

"Misty!"

"Ash!"

"Not in here." A pair hands came out of nowhere and slapped themselves on Misty's and Ash's mouth. Brock bent down, his hand still on their mouths, and pulled them close. "Remember, we have to keep this a secret. We'll discuss this later, in our room. But for right now, lets just be happy were together again and eat some good food. Okay?" May, Drew and Max nodded as Ash and Misty turned away from each other grumpily.

"Now that that is settled, who wants split some cake with me?" As Max and May raced over to the food buffet, and Drew coolly followed, Misty opened one eye and peered at Ash. She struggled to keep the grin from showing, as she looked at him from the corner of her eye. How she missed fighting with Ash... but this time, she was going to win. Little did she know, Ash was thinking the same thing.

-OoO-

"Alright, now that we have another good dinner under our belts, lets get down the business." Brock said, as he closed the door behind him and locked it. Ash and Max sat on one bed, Misty and Brock sat on the other, May on the floor, and Drew leaned up against the window.

"You guys can't do this. Its way too dangerous!" Misty said, almost glaring at them.

"We told Sir Daniel we would complete it for him. He said the package was their only hope of saving the world!" May protested.

"Do you even know what's in the package?" Misty retorted.

_Silence. _

"It doesn't really matter whats in the package, Misty. We are bringing these people hope, and frankly thats all that matters." Drew coolly replied, flicking his hair.

"This could be a trap! Did Sir Daniel tell you where to take the package? What is so important about that package? Plus, how do you even know you can trust this guy?"

Max sighed and scratched his head. "Well... You've got a point there but-"

"But its a risk we'll have to take, Misty. I will not risk millions of lives so I can stay home safe." Ash glared at her. But she glared back. "That's just it, Ash! Winding Circle is a terrible, dangerous place! I have a uncle who lives there, I would know! There are many kidnappers and robbers, who wont hesitate to kill you all on the spot!"

Max sweat ed, and May gulped. "We know that already Misty. But theres nothing we can do about it. It is what it is, and I'm not going to let that stop me." Ash said bravely.

"Brock! I'm begging you not to let him or May, Drew or even Max to go! You know how bad it can be!" Misty pleaded, turning to Brock for assistants. Drew folded his arms across his chest.

"Your making it sound like we can't think for ourselves." Brock sighed and looked down at the carpet.

"I do know. But... like Ash said. There are lives at stake, and we can't let that stop us."

"We're their only hope!" Max half-smiled.

"You just don't understand Misty. Don't you want to save everyone, that you care about? Even our Pokemon are at risk, if we don't do something about it!" Ash yelled, rubbing his Picachu affectionately.

"No, Ash! _You_ just don't understand!" Misty shouted back, now up into his face. "The Winding Circle is like no other place you've ever experienced! It is always dark and cold, and thunder storming. There is rarely even plant life there, because conditions there are sad and harsh. No one who lives there is ever happy to be alive and are always fighting for their life! People are crazy over there, and there are millions of guards, always hunting down the resistance. And you can't bring any Pokemon with you to protect you, or they will be shot down!"

It went dead silent, as Ash's eyes went wide. He held Picachu closer to his chest as he looked up and glared at her. "You know Misty, as well as anyone else in this room, that I would never, put my Pokemon or any of my friends at stake if I had a choice, but I don't have that choice. If it will make you feel better, I will leave all of my Pokemon with Nurse Joy, so they will not be threatened, but I will not stay with them."

"Nor will I." Drew said, as Brock and Max nodded. Misty looked at Ash, stunned and sad. May looked over at her, pity spelled across her face.

"Misty, we will be alright. We will have each other's backs... Yes, its going to be extremely dangerous, but in the end, that doesn't really matter. What, what Ash is trying to say is, too many things are at stake if we sit around and do nothing. Yes, it could be a complete hoax and Yes, one of us may be severely injured, but if it means saving everything and everyone we love, then we'll have to take the risk." Drew grinned at her, as Brock nodded. Ash looked down into Misty's eyes.

"Now, do you understand why we have to do this?" Misty didn't reply, but a small tear trickled down her cheek. "Idiots... you don't know what your getting yourself into." Then, she let out a sob and tore out of the room.

"Misty-!"

"Let her go, Ash. She needs to be alone." Brock said sadly, looking after the opened door.

-OoO-

An hour later and everyone was ready to get going. No one had seen Misty and didn't have enough time to wait around for her, so they wrote her a quick note and left it on her bed. Now, they had only one last thing to do.

"Nurse Joy. I need you to do us all a favor." Ash said, approaching the front desk when the Pokemon Center was completely abandoned.

"Oh? Yes? What is it?" She asked politely. Ash took out his five pokeballs and placed them on the counter.

"We, we will be traveling in to Winding Circle," he ignored her gasp, "And we would like you to look after our Pokemon while we are gone."

Drew placed his on the counter, as well, his eyes full of pain as he let go of his Rosaila's pokeball. "We don't want them getting hurt, or worse killed."

"But-! It is extremely dangerous over there! Please, don't go there!" Nurse Joy begged.

"We know all about that, Nurse Joy." May bit her lip, to keep from crying as she handed over her five, "But we have to take the risk."

"Please take good care of my Ralts." Max sniffed, after putting her on the counter, He had let her out of her Pokeball to say one last goodbye, just in case.

"Please! This is insane! The Winding Circle is known not to have many survivors! It's fare to dangerous for defenseless trainers to be going through! Besides, there is no Pokemon over there, what so ever! There is no reason for you to travel there!" Nurse Joy pleaded but Brock shook his head.

"My love, it is not for our own reasons, but for the worlds. Our destiny is calling and we must answer." Then before anyone could react, Brock leaned over and planted a small kiss on Nurse Joy's cheek. He placed his three Pokeballs in her hands as she blushed, frozen in the spot.

"Please, take care of them."

He turned swiftly and waited at the door. Drew motioned to May and Max to follow, as Ash slowly took Picachu off his shoulders and held him in front so he could see him. Ash gulped, as he struggled to keep the tears back.

"Well, Picachu. I guess, this is goodbye... old buddy."

"Pica..." Picachu sadly said, as a tear trickled down Ash's cheek. Ash hugged Picachu hard, for a good minute.

"We've traveled the whole world together, but I can't stand the thought of losing you. So I want you to stay here, as we deliver this package. I'll be back, I promise. Its too dangerous, the stakes too high, for you to come along with me." Ash said, his voice quivering.

"Pica, Pica!" Picachu struggled against his hold as he placed him with Nurse Joy, he wanted to go with Ash, no matter what the risk. Ash pulled his hat down and turned around.

"Good bye, Picachu." Picachu screamed after his master, and leaped out of Nurse Joy's grip. He then jumped on Ash's shoulder, his only home, and dug his nails down into Ash's shirt. He was _not_ staying behind.

"Picachu, no! I don't want you to come with me! You have to understand!" Ash yelled and half-sobbed, have some troubles getting Picachu off his shirt. Finally, he wrenched him off and placed him on the ground.

"I didn't want to do this... but-" He wiped his eyes before going into his backpack... and pulled out a pokeball.

"Picachu... return!" Picachu cried out, as a red ream shot out of the pokeball, and hit him. With one last plea, Picachu disappeared into the ball Ash held. The tears fell freely as Ash gave a sob.

"I'm sorry, Picachu... but, I have to go!" He dropped the ball and ran out of the Pokemon Center, out into the storm, closer than ever to Winding Circle.

-OoO-

Misty had seen the whole thing and was startled to find a tear coming out of her own eyes. She never thought she would live to see the day when Ash would leave Picachu behind. Her sorrowful expression turned into determination. Having been already packed, she run by Nurse Joy, scooped up Picachu's pokeball, put it in her backpack for later and ran after Ash. There was no way, they were going to leave her out of this adventure.

-OoO-

Ah, yes. The conclusion of Chapter Three has been reached. Many of my reviewers were demanding for Misty, since I guess I put her in my summary, so finally, she has made a appearance for the first time. Now, I must point out that I have seen very few episodes with Misty in it, so I do not exactly know her as well as I do for May. So, please bare with me people, and if I have her do something outrageous, please tell me and I will fix it right away.

I was really happy with this one! I thought it came out well, and don't you just love Misty for picking up Picachu like that? Yeah, she's the greatest. Woot For her!

And the action I hinted about? Yes, be patient people. There will be a crap load of that when they reach the Winding Circle. Oh, boy. I'm so excited to write for that, I already

have some awesome parts planned out, but I better figure a ending soon!

Haha! Thanks for all of you who have been reviewing. I hope this chapter is not to your disappointment, as well as the others to come. I appreciate everyone of them, so Thank You!

And sorry for the delay. I wanted to make this one good and long!

Hopefully, lots of Drew and May will be coming! Woot for them man! All the way!

Until Next Time-

-Back2Freestyle15


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